1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ear-hook boom microphone which hooks around a user's ear to allow for hands-free communication.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional citizen band (CB) radios, often used in motor vehicles, are hand operated units with a handheld microphone. As the number of vehicles on the road increases each day, it is critical that drivers stay focused on driving and keep both hands on the steering wheel. Those familiar with driving in traffic can appreciate that it is difficult and dangerous for the driver to be constantly reaching down to their CB unit to retrieve the handheld microphone. Various devices have been proposed to facilitate a solution to this problem, but such devices have not proved completely satisfactory.
Current ear-hanging headsets are generally a unitary piece of metal or plastic having a microphone element placed at the end of a boom, or extension, proximate the user's mouth. However, these prior art units fail to address some basic problems including, but not limited to, ambient noise interference and the use of microphone headsets with eyeglasses.
As ambient noise from the surrounding environment is picked up by the microphone, the clarity of the conversation is reduced. Currently, microphone elements are simply attached to the end of the boom and are covered by a foam shield to minimize the ambient noise. This design is only partially effective in reducing ambient noise.
Further, the current ear-hanging headsets are designed with a solid curved piece shaped to conform to the pinna of a human ear and fail to provide any accommodation to users that wear eyeglasses (i.e., prescription glasses, sunglasses, etc.). The curved pieces are usually built to provide adequate strength and support and are, therefore, made from rigid materials. As such, it is difficult for a user to wear these conventional headsets in connection with their eyeglasses. In one instance, the frames of the eyeglasses must lay on top of the rigid material which causes improper optical alignment for the user. Alternately, the frame must be sandwiched next to the rigid material and in the small space between the user's ear and the user's head. This may cause irritable rubbing and may become very painful and annoying.